The macadamia pancake stack is what I order at island cafes when I'm not in the mood for loco moco. Three tall buttermilk pancakes, ripe banana folded into the batter, more banana sliced over the top, toasted mac nuts scattered everywhere, coconut syrup in a small pitcher on the side. Two strips of bacon, a wedge of pineapple, a paper-frilly toothpick that says Aloha on it. The plate is too big to finish. I finish it.
This belongs to the everyday-cafe register of island cooking, not the white-tablecloth side. Bananas grow well here, and macadamia nuts came over from Australia in the late 1800s, with commercial Big Island orchards taking root by the mid-1900s. The pancake plate is the simplest expression of both ingredients.
At a glance
About 12 pancakes (4 stacks of 3)
10 minutes
15 minutes
Easy
Ingredients
For the batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana, mashed (about ½ cup)
To finish
- 2 more ripe bananas, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ¾ cup roasted unsalted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- Coconut syrup (see Notes), maple syrup, or warm lilikoi curd
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed griddle or large nonstick skillet
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk and rubber spatula
- ¼-cup measure or ladle for portioning
To serve
- 2 strips of bacon per plate (optional, but Hawaii cafe-style)
- A wedge of fresh pineapple
- Hot Kona coffee on the side
Method
- Toast the macadamia nuts. Spread the chopped mac nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until they smell buttery and look one shade darker. Tip them onto a plate immediately. They keep browning in the hot pan and burn fast. Untoasted mac nuts work but lose half the point.
- Whisk the dry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk the wet. In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and mashed banana until mostly smooth. A few banana lumps are welcome. They go sweet and almost custardy on the griddle.
- Combine gently. Pour the wet into the dry. Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few flour streaks are fine. Overmixed batter makes flat, tough pancakes. Let the batter rest 5 minutes while the griddle heats; the leavening starts working and the pancakes rise taller.
- Heat the griddle. Set to medium (about 350°F if your griddle has a dial). Test with a small spoon of batter. It should sizzle gently, not aggressively. Lightly butter the surface between batches.
- Cook. Pour ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. When bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip once. Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes until deeply golden. Don't press down with the spatula. It deflates the rise.
- Build the plate. Stack three pancakes per plate. Scatter sliced banana between layers if you want, and pile the rest on top. Shower with toasted macadamia nuts. Pass the warm coconut syrup at the table so the bottom pancake doesn't go soggy waiting.
Notes from a local cook
Ripe bananas, not green. The banana in the batter should be brown-flecked and soft enough to mash with a fork. Underripe bananas are starchy and bring nothing. If you can find Hawaii-grown apple bananas (small, tangy, dense), use those. They hold their shape on the griddle and taste sharper.
Quick coconut syrup. Combine ½ cup full-fat coconut milk, ½ cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Simmer gently 4 to 5 minutes until it just coats the back of a spoon. Off heat, stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla. It thickens as it cools; pull it sooner than you think. Maple syrup works too, but coconut syrup is what makes the plate read as Hawaii.
Macadamia nuts matter. Use freshly roasted, unsalted mac nuts and toast them yourself. The big-bag salted ones are too aggressive. Pre-roasted bagged nuts have usually lost their crunch. A small fresh bag of Mauna Loa or Hamakua macadamias from a Big Island roastery beats anything bagged at a mainland grocery store, and the freshness shows up on the pancake.
While You're on the Islands
Eat it made by someone else. The macadamia pancake stack turns up on a lot of cafe and diner breakfast menus across the islands, especially on weekends. I've had good versions in Kailua and Waikiki on Oahu, and in Hilo and Waimea on the Big Island. Maui and Kauai breakfast counters tend to run a version too. See our Oahu dining, Maui dining, Big Island dining, and Kauai dining guides for current cafe picks by island.
Buy the ingredients fresh. A small bag of freshly roasted Mauna Loa or Hamakua macadamias from a Big Island roastery beats anything bagged at a mainland grocery store — worth picking up while you're here even if you don't make the pancakes until you're home.
Bring It Home
What to stock up on before you fly home: a bag of Hawaiian macadamia nuts travels well in a carry-on and is what actually makes this recipe taste right — the freshness and quality genuinely beats what's bagged at a mainland grocery store.
